In The News

President Reagan replaces special Middle East envoy Philip Habib with Robert C. McFarlane. The move was an effort to encourage the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

President Reagan meets with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who then told reporters that he and his new commission on Central America might visit the countries of the region, including Nicaragua.

Mayor Harold Washington of Chicago, declaring a need for “immediate and drastic action” to prevent the city from going broke, orders the layoffs of hundreds of city workers.

Five Armenian terrorists shoot their way into the Turkish embassy in Lisbon, seize hostages and then blow-up themselves and a top diplomat’s wife with a grenade when Portuguese commandos storm the building.

Despite his order for military maneuvers in Central America, President Reagan insists that the U.S. has no plans for armed intervention in the region.

Paris – A gunman pumps six bullets into Gilbert Zemour, killing the fourth brother of the Jewish “Z gang” that ruled a large part of the prison underworld for nearly two decades.

Charles David Rothenberg, the New York waiter who set fire and burned his 7-year-old son last March in a motel room, is sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The State Department says that the voices of President Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were patched together in a non-existent telephone conversation, possibly by the KGB. The tape was delivered to the U.S. Embassy in The Hague in May. In the bogus conversation, the leaders discussed the placement of American intermediate-range missiles in Europe and Britain’s efforts to oust Argentine forces from the Falkland Island. In a statement, the department says – “This type of activity fits the pattern of fabrications circulated by the soviet KGB, although usually they involve fake documents rather than tapes.’

Technology news – July 23, 1983

The FCC approves a regulatory plan it says will make higher phone bill easier to swallow. Under the action residential phone customers will see local bill rise an initial $2 a month and businesses $6 a month on January 1. The flat rate “access fees’ are designed to shift more of the expense of operating a local telephone company to that company’s customers and end the subsidies that have been provided from AT&T’s long-distance revenues. The new fees take place the same day AT&T is broken up.

Sports news – July 23, 1983

San Diego Padres star Steve Garvey dislocates his thumb and will be sidelined. This after Garvey has played 1,207 consecutive games. Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees holds that record. Between 1925 and 1939, he played 2,130 consecutive games.

The American League upholds a protest by the Kansas City Royals, overrules its umpires and gives George Brett of Kansas City back a two-run home run he hit in New York last Sunday. The home run had been taken away from Bret for using too much pine tar on the handle of his bat.

More Kansas City - Gaylord Perry becomes the fourth pitcher in major league history to strike out more than 3,500 batters.

Daryl Strawberry hits his 12th home run in the ninth inning at Cincinnati, giving the Mets a 3-2 victory over the reds. Keith Hernandez hit a homer too.

Anne Pawelek of Cicero, Illinois, acting as her own attorney, files a class-action suit on behalf of all Polish-Americans for the Polish jokes in the hit movie “Flashdance.” The suit asks, “to delete all offensive, degrading and demeaning “Pollack jokes’” from the film. The movie is about a young woman steelworker who aspires to be a professional dancer. The Polish jokes are told by a would-be comedian in the tavern where she dances.

Entertainment/Celebrity news – July 23, 1983

Passing – Actor David Niven (73).

Passing – Actor Raymond Massey (86).

Music news – July 23, 1983

Taping is clearly a problem for record companies. Geffen Records isn’t taking any chances with the new Asia album. The band has included an extra song for the cassette version of the album “Alpha.” Other artists are sure to dot he same.

Touring – Simon and Garfunkle.

Sesame Street releases rock album “Born to Add.” The jacket is a takeoff of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.’

NBC’s “Friday Night Videos” debuts. The 90-minute program, which runs Saturday nights at 12:30am, is the first for the use of videos. According to producer Dick Ebersol, that amounts to about $1000 per video and more for world premieres. MTV thinks the new program will wet the appetite for viewers, who will want more and come to them.

Television news – July 23, 1983

The FCC proposes to authorize (finally) TV stations to broadcast their audio in stereo.

Roger Mudd will be dropped set 5 as co-anchor of the “Nightly News” but will remain with NBC as senior political reporter.

On Square Pegs – Vinnie and Jennifer are on the outs after Vinnie gets a male lead in the school musical.

On David Letterman – Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

Music news – July 23, 1983

The indestructibility of the Compact Disc is a myth, according to research by the Dutch Consumer’s Assn. CD’s may be less vulnerable than conventional records, but dust and scratches can still affect their reproduction and even in extreme cases, make them unplayable.

More CD – A&M Records is slated to join the ranks of Compact disc labels via plans for a fall release of digital CD titles.

REO Speedwagon is touring!

HBO has Billy Joel in concert… the audio is stereo simulcast on FM stations around the country. In Los Angeles – KHTZ-FM.

Right now, stores with compact discs are stocking imports. Two CD Stores in the Washington DC area say most of their buyers are affluent and are plopping down the $20-$25 per disc. CBS is going to be the first U.S. company to bring out compact discs and that ‘s supposed to happen this month.

Did you catch Diana Ross’ concert at Central Park?

MTV hotter – With 140 national advertisers representing more than 340 products, MTV has sold more ad time in the first three months of this year than it did in all of 1982!

Radio news – July 23, 1983

Passing - Legendary air personality Hal “Aku” Lewis, known to his many Honolulu listeners as J. Akuhead Pupule. He was 66.

After more than a year and a half of news and news talk, KCNN (1360) in San Diego is moving into standards music.

Changes at KHTZ Los Angeles. Morning sidekick/newsman Boyd R. Britton is being replaced by Lou Henry, who will now be heard on the Charlie Tuna morning show.

Charlie Kendall is the new program director of WNEW-FM New York. He had been at sister station WMMR Philadelphia.

Look out – WHTZ is about to make its debut in New York!. PD Scott Shannon says the hit radio station will have a mass appeal orientation. “We’re taking the position that we’re here to create, not compete. Shannon’s been listening to other New York stations and feels they sound too serious. “We’re going to be fun and that should make us different. I want to customize a product for New York that will reflect the spirit and the old WABC, before they lost touch with the street.” Shannon won’t employ consultant Mike Joseph or any other consultant. He believes “Hot Hits” has lasting power.

KPKE Denver shifts from AOR to Top-40… KFRC San Francisco personality Bill Lee is fired for joking about the disease AIDS on the air.